Photo by Lenin Acevedo
When you think of Philadelphia and boxing, certain words come to mind.
Passion, desire, toughness, grit.
These things embody Philadelphia fighters and the city as a whole.
There is no quit in the “City of Brotherly Love”, and perhaps this is the reason that Philadelphia’s fighters are usually fan favorites.
Enter Gabriel Rosado (21-6, 13 KOs), a determined fighter looking to add to the long lineage of championship boxers who call Philadelphia their home.
Rosado is the consummate professional. He is someone who wasn’t anointed as the “next” guy by any promotional company.
Instead, Rosado worked his way up the ranks slowly but surely, honing his craft with every bout and learning just as much from a loss as he does a win.
Navigating through the mean streets of Philly, I make a stop at the Joe Hand Boxing Gym and meet up with Middleweight title contender, Gabriel “King” Rosado.
RBRBoxing: Gabe, what’s up man?
GR: Getting this workout done bro.
RBRBoxing: So Gabe, I’m going to get straight to it with a couple of questions. We know you didn’t have much of an amateur career (8-2). Do you think in a way this gave you a disadvantage in boxing?
GR: For me it just meant I had to work harder. When I turned pro I felt like I was learning on the job.
RBRBoxing: So you were baptized in the fire? Do you think it could’ve given you an advantage as well?
GR: Yeah and my trainer (Billy Briscoe) is an old school type trainer so I think that’s why I’m such a tough and dangerous fighter.
RBRBoxing: Talk to me about Hopkins.
GR: I learn a lot from Bernard I’ve trained with Bernard for a while. If you pay close attention to my fights you see a lot of Bernard.
RBRBoxing: What did you learn from GGG? Watching you that night I felt like the times you exploded and brought the fire to Golovkin he looked out of place. Would you consider fighting him again?
Photo by Sumio Yamada
GR: Yeah. We noticed that too, but because of the cut we felt like it was a bit late and we couldn’t engage the fight in that way. I’ll fight him again I would stay in the pocket though.
RBRBoxing: So, J’Leon Love. Well, I’m not even gonna ask about that.
GR: (Laughs) Nah, but if the money’s there, anything [can] go down.
RBRBoxing: Gabe, thanks for the opportunity and good luck brother.
GR: No problem bro.
Forget his record. With a late start in boxing, Gabriel “King” Rosado possesses a ferociousness and fighting spirit that is much larger than his win-loss columns.
He genuinely embodies the nitty-gritty rough and tough style of Philadelphia fighters.
Photo by John Garita
Shortly after this interview was conducted, Rosado confirmed to us that his next fight will be against WBO Middleweight champion, Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin on October 26.
The Rosado vs. Quillin bout will be part of the Bernard Hopkins vs. Karo Murat fight card which will be held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Golden Boy CEO, Richard Schaefer had the following to say:
I think the fight is in the perfect spot. Peter is from New York, Rosado is from Philadelphia. I try to put fights where they belong and this fight belongs in that location. I’m very happy for the fans from the East Coast that they can see another world title fight on this card. Rosado always comes to fight and he’s getting another world title opportunity. For Quillin, it’s another opportunity to showcase his talents against a good opponent.
